Dawning Of A New Era
by BerserkFury9393999393
Summary: Set 100 years after my first fic, The Unsung War. In a world where Zoids battles are now a combat sport, Team Storm sets their sights on the coveted Class S rank, yet they soon find out that revenge is being sought. Zoids New Century Zero. Please R&R.
1. In The Fray: Aerial Battle

***DISCLAIMER: I do not own Zoids. I own only my characters, organoids (which will be introduced later), Team Storm, and the Zoids Fusion Changing Armor System (ZF-CAS).***

***JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR: I know that Fuzor Zoids do not exist in the New Century Zero timeline. However, they are included in this story. Also, in the Battle Story, there were two Liger Zeros, correct? I refer to the one that was made into a Republican Zoid simply as a Liger Zero, whereas the one that was eventually made into the Liger Zero EM and Liger Zero X as the (Liger) Zero X, regardless of the armor it currently wears. And, yes, there are OC's. Lots. So if you have a problem with this, leave now. Oh, and all of Team Storm's Zoids have a pack (like an Irken PAK) that houses extra weapons and equipment. I could probably keep going about differences for EVER, so I'm just reminding you that this is a fanFICTION. There is no set of guidelines to write them, and I am entitled to as much imagination as I like. If, for any reason, you do not like my story, do NOT continue to read it. And DO NOT flame me please. I try to do my best with my stories, and anything extremely hurtful will result in me automatically blocking you. Thank you and have a nice day.***

***ALSO: The Bloody Dragon CAS is essentially the Shadow Edge from the Zoids: Chaotic Centruy Manga, but it also includes deployable wings in its booster pack that look a lot like Shadow's. It is also colored a blood red, if that wasn't already clear.***

**Chapter 1: In The Fray: Aerial Battle**

(Margaret's POV):

"Look out!" I shouted as I shot the laser beam, nullifying it before it could reach the Zero X.

"Sorry about that," Adam stated, returning the enemy zoid's fire. Unfortunately, the targets were all airborne, and dodged his shots with little effort. Mary wasn't having any luck either, even though her Wild Liger was airborne thanks to the wings deployed from its pack. One zoid alone couldn't take on all four of them!

"Listen," I told Adam. "Cover Mary, hold your ground, and I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?"

I activated the thrusters. "You'll see."

He asked no questions, meanwhile I headed towards the waiting Whale King. I radioed Thomas, and asked him to prep the Bloody Dragon CAS (Changing Armor System) unit. The odds were against us, but we didn't come this far to lose now!

A few seconds later, the Tyrann was secure on the maintenance deck, ready for the armor transformation. Working quickly, the arms removed the Tyrann's normal armor, and replaced it soon after with the Bloody Dragon unit. As soon as the hatch opened, I zoomed out, taking to the air as quickly as I could. I radioed Adam, informing him that the maintenance deck was clear-that it was safe for him to make a quick visit.

"10-4" was the only reply necessary, but he didn't head to the Whale King. Instead, he radioed Thomas. "Release the Falcon!"

_Ah, so THAT'S his plan, _I thought. _I should have known-he really likes that zoid._

He was referring to a zoid called the Jet Falcon. It can fuse with his Liger, making his zoid become the Liger Zero Falcon. The Jet Falcon gives his zoid full flight capabilities, Buster Claws, and its talons are worn over the Liger's claws like a pair of gauntlets. Although he had a variety of armor variations to choose from, the Zero Falcon was his favorite.

Why that fact was, I'm not really sure. Never really asked. Perhaps it was because it turned his earthbound Liger into a mighty bird of prey-something the other armor units did not offer. Our enemies were all airborne zoids, the team consisting of an Orudios, a Bite Griffon, a Battle Cougar, and even a Pteramander.

The Jet Falcon fused to Adam's Liger, and he took to the sky as well. We grouped together, and Mary soon joined us.

"So what's the plan?" she asked.

"No time!" I performed a barrel roll to deflect the laser shots fired in my direction. "Let's get em!" The Tyrann let out a mighty roar. "All right," I said. "I'm heading for the Pteramander! Cover me!"

"Got it."

While they veered off to confront the Cougar and Griffon in pursuit, I ascended ever higher into the sky. Soon, I spotted my target. The Pteramander was firing missiles and using its flamethrower to give Adam and Mary a tough time. _Not if I can help it._

I dived down, colliding with the rampaging Pteramander. Working quickly, I used the Electron Bite Fang to tear through the mechanics of its flailing wings. I leapt away, and, charging the Dragon's wings, made my way back to the Pteramander. It attempted to stop me with its missiles, but I dodged them easily. _Just a little closer…_

But the Pteramander pilot figured out my plan. Right as I was about to cut through his zoid with superheated wings, the Pteramander slipped just out of reach. _Crap. _I turned quickly in an attempt to try once more, and was met with the Pteramander's tail. I was losing altitude and, even worse, a missile followed that strike.

"I'm hit!" I notified the others, immediately engaging the healing program in the Dragon's pack. "The Pteramander's coming down too, but watch your backs!"

"Affirmative." Adam said.

"And down it goes!" Mary said, slashing through the remainder of the Pteramander's wings with her Liger's Super Laser Claw.

"Nice save," I said. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. You okay?"

I activated the Vernier thrusters, which left me hovering in the air. "Yeah. The healing program's being a bit slow today, but I'll be fine."

"The Bite Griffon's down," Adam reported.

"10-4," I replied. The healing program finally repaired the Dragon's armor, and the deployable laser wings were back online. I kept the thrusters on-just in case. "All right," I said, Mary and I headed after the remaining zoids. "Just two more to go."

"MACH TEAM REGISTRATION NUMBERS: 2626, 2627-OUT OF THE BATTLE!" boomed the judge. _Oh NOW you tell us. _I rolled my eyes. _Gee thanks judge._

Using drafting to build our speed, we closed in on the remaining zoids. Er, zoid.

"Hey where's the other one?" Mary asked.

"What…?" That's when I realized it: we were following only the Battle Cougar. The Orudios was nowhere in sight.

"Behind you!" Adam voiced.

I whipped around, and there it was. It was racing toward us, ready to impale our zoids with its long horn. Reacting purely out of instinct, I deployed the Charged Particle Cannon while hovering in mid-air. Within seconds, a superheated stream of particles pierced the air. But the Orudios somehow deflected it and kept on coming. I readied another blast, but it would be too late before I could fire the cannon again.

"Now it's my turn," a confident voice said through the radio.

I saw a flash of blue. But it was too dark to be Mary's Liger. It collided with the Orudios, and I was able to glimpse the Buster Fury. It was Charlie. He knocked the Orudios off-course, then proceeded to clip off its mighty horn-as well as the tips of its lances-with the Fury's Buster Claws. While he had it occupied, I aimed the Charged Particle Cannon, ready to fire as soon as he was out of range.

Several seconds later, he took off, and I unleashed the mighty Charged Particle Blast. It hit its target dead center, and the opposing zoid fell from the sky. Together, we set off to assist Mary and Adam with the remaining Battle Cougar, but we soon found they had it handled.

"Diving Laser Claw!"

"Super Laser Claw!"

They employed an X-type formation in their attack, hitting the Cougar almost simultaneously. Although now severely damaged, the Cougar attempted to retaliate. Noticing this, I shot a fireball with the CPC, and Charlie a couple of laser shots, at the lone opponent. Defeated, it spiraled toward the ground. An alarm sounded, informing us of the battle's conclusion.

"THE BATTLE IS OVER! THE BATTLE IS OVER!" the judgeman said. "THE WINNER IS…TEAM STORM!"


	2. Zoid Repairs: In Other News

**Chapter 2: Zoid Repairs/In Other News**

After our victory, we decided to treat ourselves to a celebratory dinner. With all the money we were raking in, we could afford to dine pretty much wherever we wanted. But Thomas insisted on having our zoids checked and repairs made on them.

"But Captain," I began. "We could always have Adam's Liger repair our zoids." I pointed over my shoulder at Adam's Liger Zero X. "That's what we've done in the past." I paused. "Plus, I could run a manual diagnostic on any zoid suspected of having problems and fix it myself."

"Well, all right," Thomas said. "Maybe my uneasiness is just the fact that I want to know for myself any problems we have with the zoids. With this many different types…" He gestured around the base at our zoids. "We can't afford to have one malfunctioning. It could mean our defeat if we needed one and it couldn't hold up in battle."

"I understand." I thought for a moment. "I can begin with the manual diagnostics and zoid repairs, and have a full, detailed report of each and every zoid's welfare on your desk tomorrow."

A look of surprise. "Every one of them?"

I nodded confidently. "Yep."

"By yourself?"

I nodded again. "Can be done."

He gave me a mixed look. I wasn't sure what he was thinking.

"I've no doubt you could do so alone," he said. "But there's no way I'm letting you. It's late and we have a battle tomorrow. We all need our rest. So…" He checked his watch, then looked back to me. "I'll have the others come up to assist you with the diagnostics, okay?"

"Sure thing," I agreed. "I'll have X help too. However…"

"However?"

"Let's just have everybody come up one at a time," I said. "I don't think I could handle the mass chaos of everyone's diagnostics and repairs at once."

"All right," Thomas replied. "Let's start with my Bear Fighter."

"Sure." We began to make our way to his zoid, and I motioned for Adam's Liger to come with us. "Come on X!" It purred loudly and obediently followed. This was in case I ran into something I couldn't fix by myself. Soon, we came upon Thomas's mighty Bear Fighter.

Thomas entered the cockpit, and began checking for internal viruses, while I looked the zoid over for physical repairs. X took a single glance at the Bear Fighter, and walked around to the other side. The Bear Fighter looked over its shoulder and sighed mournfully.

"What is it Bear?" Thomas asked his zoid.

X growled to get my attention. Dropping my inspection of the left shoulder armor, which needed to have a few repairs done, I hurried over to see what was wrong. As I made it around, it was easy to see why the zoids had acted like that: the armor of the right rear leg was almost completely totaled.

"Uh oh," I said quietly to myself, stopping in my tracks. Before I could do or say anything else, X's pack began to glow, quickly shining with a bright blue light. The light then spread over his body, making X one big ball of bright blue light. X touched a shining nose to the very heart of the Bear Fighter's injuries, and the armor began to quickly repair itself. In less than three seconds, the armor was completely repaired, and the light that coated X's body began to fade.

"Well…?" Thomas asked, still in the cockpit.

"The armor here was torn up pretty bad," I informed him. "But, thanks to X here…" The Liger purred, glowing in its praise. "…That's no longer an issue."

"That's a relief."

"Tell me about it."

A short while later, not only was the Bear Fighter battle-ready, but so was my Bloody Tyrann. Thanks to the healing program I used during the fight, it had nary a scratch. With those two out of the way, Thomas had the others come up to assist us. Instead of going with my plan, he decided it would be less time-consuming if we both helped a member of the team with their zoid check-ups. I know it was due to time constraints and not intended to be a blow to my pride as an expert zoid mechanic, but I couldn't help but be a little flustered by it.

Leave it to captain to pick this up.

"Look," he told me. "I understand that you wanted to do the check-ups yourself, but it's already 1145 and you and I both need to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for tomorrow's battle. So let's just bite the bullet and get this over with, okay?"

"Oh all right," I replied, a tad annoyed. I hadn't meant for anyone to pick up that it had flustered me a bit.

So, off we went. More zoid check-ups. Joy. With the number of zoids, one would probably think that all this would take long and grueling hours and hours and hours on end. But it didn't. That's not how it works with our team. We're all like one big family. We all help each other out in times of need, working together with an integrated sense of teamwork. Always.

And, to be honest, there weren't that many problems. The major problems included: a misalignment with the Fire Fox's aiming sight (It was off by only about six degrees, but that would be enough to cost us a battle.), a problem with channeling energy to the Blade Liger's blades (Thanks to a dangerous internal virus, which meant that the Blade Liger would be out of commission until we can annihilate the virus.), slight problems with the Houndsoldier's boosters (They were giving off a higher maximum output, which could have caused permanent damage if left unchecked. Turns out that it was due to a programming error within the zoid and therefore was easily fixed.), and, finally, one of the anchors on the Geno Saurer was broken (This was easily fixed by X.).

By the time we finished, all mental reminders of writing reports had completely slipped my mind. Fortunately, Thomas informed me that they wouldn't be necessary this time around; we had taken care of everything but the Blade Liger. We would need special antivirus software to overcome that.

"Let's just all get some sleep," he said. "We've got a big battle tomorrow, and we can't afford to lose."

Feeling no need to argue, I gratefully went to my room, ready to catch those much-needed Zs.

The alarm came too soon. Groaning, I turned it off and arose, the battle mentality already eagerly awake in my mind. I got ready quickly, and headed down for some breakfast. As I prepared a quick meal, I decided to catch a bit of the news. Even though I knew for a fact it was almost over, it's surely better than nothing. I grabbed the remote and clicked on the TV, greeted by a rather intriguing heading: "Nationwide Protesting: The World of Zoids Battles goes Downhill."

"In other news," the anchorman stated. "Reports all around Zi have stated that large groups of protests are being held against the continuation of zoid battles. Some believe that a war will result from the combat sport. " The screen cut to footage showing an enormous group protesting against the continuation of zoid battles. "Others believe that the sport is sure to cause the destruction of the planet." The screen cut to footage of a zoid battlefield, where a recent battle had been held. There had been some ancient ruins in the vicinity, but now they were completely destroyed. "And a few believe that the zoids involved are being made to fight against their will."

_Enough of this, _I thought irritably, turning off the television. _That's absolutely ridiculous! But…_ My mind swam with conflicting thoughts about what I had just heard. _Could they be right?_


	3. The Fury Of The Pride

**Chapter 3: The Fury Of The Pride: Team Storm VS. The Liger Team**

In seemingly no time at all, we arrived at the battlefield, eager to face the famed Liger Team in combat. The Liger Team consists of three highly advanced Liger Zeros, and the team has access to the extremely rare Zoids Fusion Changing Armor System (ZF-CAS), armor units that were used in the war hundreds of years ago-with unbelievable success and flair. It was even rumored that the team leader's Liger Zero could undergo a sudden transformation-not unlike Matt's Murasame Liger-into the fearsome Liger Zero X13. With its thirteen extendable laser blades, Electron Driver, and its Charged Particle Cannon, it is truly a deadly force to be reckoned with.

_But not as deadly as my Bloody Tyrann, _I thought smugly. _My Tyrann is the descendant of the legendary Shadow Dragon X13, the zoid that helped bring an end to the Death Stinger AND the Death Saurer, ringing in a new age of peace for Zi._

"The Bloody Tyrann is secure on the maintenance deck," Maria informed me. "Which armor unit are you going to use?"

"Hmmm…" I thought for a moment, trying to decide what would be best-considering the circumstances, as well as what best fit my fighting style. With opponents like the Liger Team, this was extremely important. With most battles, I just go with whatever armor unit I feel like using.

"The X Schneider Tyrann," I said simply.

"ZF-CAS is underway."

With that, the armor system quickly removed my zoid's base armor, and soon replaced it with the armor of the X Schneider Tyrann. As could probably be inferred by the name, it is a combination of the Liger Zero X's Schneider Unit and the Bloody Tyrann's armor. It consisted of the Schneider's seven laser blades, along with its Laser Fangs, and even claws integrated into the shoulder armor that could be extended-like the Geno Saurer's-to grab onto (or even tear through) the enemy. This made it quite the close-range threat.

We were also experimenting with this armor, trying to make it where each of the blades could fire charged particle beams. So far, what we had done had been successful, but we were also trying to make it to where not only could the beams be fired in different directions simultaneously, the zoid wouldn't have to be anchored to the ground. The only way to do this, we soon found, was to fire the charged particle beams from the air-using the boosters to assist in the endeavor. But maybe-just maybe-there was a way around that.

Back on track, the Liger Team was a rank above us, but, due to our winning streak, the Zoids Battle Commission finally allowed us to challenge them. It was about time too, because all our other opponents were too easy for us. We needed stronger opponents, and the Liger Team more than fit that need. The ZF-CAS finished installing the armor, and I was set for battle.

"Are we all set to mobilize?" Thomas asked, his Bear Fighter ready for action.

"You bet!" I said enthusiastically, my Tyrann determined to give the Liger Team a run for their money.

"Ready," Sam said, his Liger Zero Gusoku Myoko itching to wield its deadly katana in combat.

"I'm ready too," Cindy stated, her Rainbow Jerk WD (Wind Dancer) eager to take to the skies.

"Then let's go!" he said, the hatch of the Whale King opening to the battlefield before us.

And so we moved with great haste onto the battlefield, where we found the Liger Team waiting. The Liger on our left had been outfitted with the Berserk Jager ZF-CAS unit, and the one on our right had been customized with the Berserk Panzer ZF-CAS. The team leader's zoid, the middle Liger, was stripped completely bare.

_That's fishy, _I thought. _Then, this has to mean that-_

I brought up a communications line to Thomas. "Does he really intend to fight with that stripped-down unit?" I asked, indicating the opposing team leader's zoid. I had a feeling that my teammate's worst fears about this battle were about to come true.

"I'm afraid so," he replied. His voice was a bit on the grim side. "This can only mean one thing."

"You don't mean-!" Cindy exclaimed in shock.

"Yes," Thomas said. "This means-"

"No way!" Sam interjected. "The Liger Zero X13?"

Thomas dipped his head. "Yes." The others began to protest, but he silenced them. "Listen," he said. "We knew that this was going to be a possibility, so let's put our fears behind us and do our best to win this! Understand?"

The others were quiet, and I thought I had cracked a rib trying to keep myself from laughing. Finally, I couldn't help it-I laughed out loud. They all fixed me with looks of confusion. Except Thomas. His expression was like that of a stony-faced mother about to whip the living daylights out of her child for misbehavior. This sobered me up. Almost.

"May I ask just what is so funny?" he asked in a serious tone.

"Their reactions to fighting the fearsome Zero X13 that's all," I said slyly. "I just figure that if everyone's so intimidated by it that me and my Tyrann will take it out ourselves."

"Don't be foolish!" he said. "That's-"

He didn't get a chance to finish, as, seconds later, the judge capsule made its appearance, albeit several kilometers away.

_Geez, _I thought. _The judge sure likes to keep his distance._

"THE AREA WITHIN A THIRTY-MILE RADIUS IS NOW A DESIGNATED ZOID BATTLEFIELD," said the judge. "THIS ZONE IS NOW RESTRICTED. ONLY COMPETITORS AND PERSONELL HAVE AUTHORIZED ENTRY. DANGER: ALL OTHERS MUST LEAVE THE AREA AT ONCE."

With this, the capsule scanned the area. The battle was about to get underway.

"AREA SCANNED… BATTLEFIELD SET UP. TEAM STORM VERSUS THE LIGER TEAM. BATTLE MODE 0982. READY…FIGHT!"

Cindy immediately took off into the sky, Sam activated his Liger's Optic Camouflage, and Thomas charged the Berserk Panzer, firing the Bear Fighter's Electricity Cannon and the Missile Launcher upon it. However, the Panzer wasn't interested in returning Thomas's fire. Instead, its twin Hybrid Cannons aimed skyward, targeting Cindy. Right as the cannon fired, the Bear Fighter rammed the Panzer, knocking the beams off course.

"Watch yourself up there Cindy!" Thomas barked.

Sam and his Liger had decided to go after the Berserk Jager, which, in retrospect, probably wasn't the smartest thing to do. The Berserk Jager could run circles around Sam's Gusoku Myoko. But Sam was prepared in his own way: he had not only the Optic Camouflage Generator (which renders his zoid invisible and untraceable on radar), but his zoid was also equipped with the False-Reality Generator (which made illusionary copies of the equipped zoid). This confounded the Jager pilot so that he was shooting thin air. Suddenly… SLICE! The Gusoku Myoko tore through the one of the Jager's main boosters with the katana held firmly in its mouth, and entirely cut off one of its equipped Buster Claws.

Seeing my chance, I charged toward the naked Liger, eager to face the famous Liger Zero X13. But… Instead of rapidly transforming, it turned tail and ran!

My mouth dropped. "You've gotta be kidding! I don't believe this! The esteemed X13 pilot-a COWARD!"

At that instant, something was picked up on the radar. I turned my head to see a high-level energy beam soar past my Tyrann.

_Ha! Pretty lousy aim, _I thought, continuing to chase the bare Liger. But it had turned around and was headed right for me! Before I could strike, I found that the Liger had its Strike Laser Claw and Laser Fang attacks ready. _Uh oh._

I screeched my zoid to a halt right as the Liger leapt in the air, expecting my Tyrann to suffer a devastating blow. But, instead, the Liger landed on the Tyrann's back, and immediately leapt up into the air to catch Cindy's falling Wind Dancer with its teeth and claws. That's when I realized that the shot I saw hadn't been directed at me. The Liger's glowing teeth and claws dug viciously into her zoid, nearly tearing off a wing and biting off the neck.

"TEAM STORM REGISTRATION NUMBER: 0351-OUT OF THE BATTLE!"

It was official. Cindy was out of the battle. Just like that. I gaped at my fallen comrade. I hadn't expected this. Not one bit. _But… _My lips curved into a smirk. _This makes things a LOT more interesting._

Then, it happened. The naked Liger was suddenly glowing a bright white, and armor was growing out of the zoid's body itself. In a matter of seconds, the zoid had gone from being a stripped-down Liger to the Liger Zero X13, an extremely deadly killing machine. I hoped it would target me. I was dying for a chance to battle- Wait. It's running off again?

"That's it!" I said angrily, deploying the X Schneider's Seven Blade Attack, converting the Buster Claws to Magnesser Drill mode, and tailing the Liger with the Tyrann's booster pack and Vernier thrusters. I was thrown backwards into my seat at the sudden take-off. I shot charged laser beams from the blades at the X13. "Come back here and fight!"

Suddenly, the Berserk Jager leapt in my path, forcing me to a stop. It held the Myoko's katana in its mouth. My heart skipped a beat. I hadn't heard the judge declare-

"TEAM STORM REGISTRATION NUMBER 4639-OUT OF THE BATTLE!"

So, Sam was out too. This might've struck fear into the hearts of wiser warriors, but not me. I saw it as an even bigger challenge. And I was all too keen to take the challenge on.

Acting fast as lightning, I reached out with one of the Tyrann's Buster Claws and seized the Jager with it. The Jager's pilot didn't even have a chance to respond as I tightened the claw's grip so that my prize could not escape, the claw beginning to slice right through the zoid's body armor. I planned on taking my zoid to the air, where I would've thrown the Jager down and then followed up by impaling it with my sharp blades.

But apparently my mind was made up for me by the team's Berserk Panzer. A barrage of missiles made me release my catch and activate the E-Shield (Energy Shield). The Jager fell to the ground, then, after some difficulty, regained its footing. But a really unpleasant thought began to form in my head, when-

"TEAM STORM REGISTRATION NUMBER 1157-OUT OF THE BATTLE!"

I jerked my head around to see the Panzer standing with one foot over the Bear Fighter's neck. Time seemed to stop as I realized I was left alone to face the Liger Team. I still wasn't scared, as I very well should've been, but I'll admit I was pretty shaken up. They took out three of our zoids within just a few minutes. To them, this match was over.

_But, _I thought, determination and anger raging inside me. _It's not over until it's over!_

Unsure of what to do, I stood my ground in anticipation of their next move. Slowly, they surrounded me, and all dropped their anchors (or, in the X13's case, improvised and used the extendable blades on its legs as makeshift anchors), and prepared to roast my Tyrann with an attack of three combined Charged Particle Beams. There didn't seem to be any way out of this one; they had me trapped.

Yet… A smile creeped its way to my lips once more. I had a plan. I waited… They were about to unleash the Charged Particle Beams. _Just a little more… _And WHOOSH! As soon as they fired, I evaded the deadly beams by taking straight to the air with help from the thrusters. I sped off and looped around for an attack of my own.

Still hovering in midair, all of the blades pointed forward (save for the two flank blades, one of which was pointing at the Panzer, and, the other at the Jager), and the Charged Particle Cannon in the Tyrann's mouth at the leader's zoid. The Buster Claws were to remain on standby in case the E-Shield was needed. It seemed that my timely evasion had completely befuddled them, and that was just the opening I needed. Without hesitation, I fired eight of the ten Charged Particle Cannons upon my opponents.

The beams hit dead center. With this deadly, and, well, quite reckless attack, I had successfully defeated my opponents. Satisfied, I returned the Tyrann to the ground.

"LIGER TEAM REGISTRATION NUMBERS: 1212, 1414-OUT OF THE BATTLE!"

_Wait, did I just hear correctly? That means…_

As the dust cleared, I found that the X13 had put up a powerful energy shield at the very last minute.

_That…shouldn't have surprised me._

The X13 deactivated its E-Shield and let out a proud roar. It stowed away its leg blades, and extended its flank blades. Just then, I could see what was coming. The enemy was going to try a quick slice-and-dice move with its blades. Sure enough, the X13 took off like a speeding bullet with the help of its boosters. I didn't move an inch. I had to act fast, and so I did. Right as the Liger aimed to cut my zoid's neck off, I reached out and grabbed the Liger's blade between the Tyrann's claws.

This caught the Liger pilot by surprise. _Good. _I quickly seized the enemy zoid around its neck with a Buster Claw, and snapped the blade held by the Tyrann in two, then discarded the useless weapon. Turning to better face my opponent, I took the other Buster Claw and wrapped it around the now-helpless zoid as well. I sent a surge of EMP (ElectroMagnetic Pulse) through the Buster Claws, and threw the Liger on the ground, its command system now frozen.

A familiar alarm sounded, and a great sense of relief washed over me.

"THE BATTLE IS OVER! THE BATTLE IS OVER!" said the judge. "THE WINNER IS…TEAM STORM!"

_I did it, _I thought proudly to myself. _I survived the encounter and we've now beaten the Liger Team!_


End file.
